Frequently, primary concerns in designing a package for the sale of consumer goods are: (1) the ability of the package to meet the physical requirements for the particular application in question, (2) the ease of use of the package, and (3) the cost of the package as a part of the total cost of the product sold to the consumer. Additionally, due to a variety of market-related factors and legislative initiatives, environmental concerns are becoming increasingly more important in the process of designing packages.
In the refrigerated dough industry, many refrigerated doughs are currently packaged in composite, spirally wound cans such as those taught in U.S. Pat. No. 2,793,126 issued to Fienup, et al. Such spirally wound composite containers have gained wide-spread acceptance in the industry because they meet the physical requirements for containing such products, have gained acceptance among consumers, and are relatively inexpensive to manufacture.
When refrigerated dough products are packaged for sale to the consumer, a suitable portion of dough, e.g., enough dough for a single loaf of bread or a single batch of biscuits or the like, is placed into the container and the dough is "proofed". This proofing process involves heating the dough within the container to cause the dough to rise and flush the air out of the container. In current commercial processes, the proofing is continued until a positive pressure is achieved within the can. The leavening action generally continues in the can until the internal pressure reaches a level of about 15-20 psi during the product's shelf life. Accordingly, the package itself must be able to withstand those internal pressures.
Although a package formed solely of paper products may be able to withstand such pressures, there is a tendency for moisture in the air to condense on the chilled containers when the dough is refrigerated and moisture in the product contacts the inner surface of the container. If the container were made solely of a paper product, it would tend to become damp and lose its structural integrity, possibly leading to structural failure of the package under internal pressure. Accordingly, a suitable moisture barrier generally must be provided about both the exterior and interior surfaces of the package to prevent the paper elements of the container from becoming damp.
Also, in order to reduce the permeability of the walls of the container and to maintain the integrity of the foodstuffs therein, these barrier layers may be formed of materials which are less permeable to oxygen or the like. Thus, current composite, spirally wound cans used in the refrigerated dough industry generally comprise a structural layer formed of a paper material; an outer wrapper formed of a moisture-resistant material, such as metal foil or a plastic, carried about the exterior of the paper layer; and an internal foil or plastic layer lining the interior of the package and contacting the dough.
As the name implies, each layer of such a spirally wound composite can is formed of a sheet material which is helically wound, with the edges of the sheet being attached to an adjacent edge of the same sheet to define a cylinder. In opening such a container, the outer wrapper is removed by spirally unwinding it and separating it from the central paper layer. This outer wrapper also lends some structural strength to the wall of the container; when it is removed, the remaining layers are frequently designed to be unable to contain the internal pressure of the container and the container may rupture. Alternatively, the container may be able to withstand the pressure and a utensil must be pressed against the seam of the container to complete opening by rupturing the wall. This rupture usually results in a sudden, noisy popping sensation.
When a consumer removes the outer wrapper there is no reliable way to determine when, or even if, the container will rupture. The noise associated with rupturing is therefore unpredictable and oftentimes startles the consumer, even though he or she may expect the rupture at some time during removal of the wrapper. Sometimes, the remaining two layers of the container are indeed sufficiently strong to withstand the internal pressure of the container, requiring the consumer to press against the seal between the edges of the paper sheet to rupture the container to access the product.
It can also be relatively difficult to remove the contents of such containers once they have been opened. The layers of the container's walls tend to retain their generally helical, cylindrical configuration even after the wall has been ruptured. Gaining access to the product within this wall and removing it therefrom requires the consumer to work against this bias of the wall. Additionally, the opening between adjacent edges of the sheet materials of the wall is generally helical as well, further hindering easy removal of the product by requiring the consumer to turn the container while acting against the bias of the walls.
One of the primary forces driving current environmental concerns is the impending crisis in landfill space. Consumers have become increasingly more aware of these environmental factors and have begun making purchasing decisions based upon the recyclability of packages and their components. Furthermore, attempts to increase the recycled-material content and recyclable-material content of consumer packages through legislative activity have become increasingly more common.
Although current composite containers are relatively inexpensive and have proven to be adequate for their intended purpose, they generally are not recyclable. In recycling solid wastes, one must commonly segregate the waste based upon composition so that each type of waste will be suitably processed for recycling. For instance, metal, paper and plastics each require distinct processes for recycling and therefore must be separated from one another before solid waste can be recycled. Current composite, spirally wound cans used in the refrigerated dough industry, though, cannot be readily segregated into their component materials. Hence, in most areas of the United States such composite containers cannot be recycled under current recycling processes and they frequently must be disposed of by incineration or deposited in a landfill.
Thus, most composite packaging structures tend to be inherently non-recyclable, at least under current recycling techniques. Recent marketing studies have indicated that consumers find packages which are recyclable more desirable than those which are not recyclable, and are willing to pay a premium price in order to minimize non-recyclable solid waste from packaging or to use packages which have a significant content of recycled materials. Accordingly, a company which is able to offer consumers a product packaged in a recyclable package would have a market advantage over competitors which sold products in non-recyclable containers. Additionally, some legislatures have already begun to pass laws restricting the use of composite containers.
A number of attempts have been made to design substitute packaging for refrigerated dough products. Those designs which have achieved the necessary structural integrity to be used for this application, though, have generally been relatively difficult for the consumers to use or have been prohibitively expensive. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a package for refrigerated dough products and the like which has the necessary structural integrity to handle such products, yet is easy for consumers to use, is not unduly expensive and is recyclable or utilizes recycled materials in its construction.